Chalk eraser cleaner

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for cleaning erasers comprising a base, a coarse dust collecting means, an enclosed beating bed positioned above the coarse dust collecting means, and an enclosed fine dust collecting means positioned above the beating bed, whereby an eraser is beaten on the beating bed and the coarse dust collects in the coarse dust collecting means and the fine dust is swept upward and collected in the fine dust collecting means.

United States Patent [191 Wu [451 Apr. 23, 1974 [75] inventor:

[ CHALK ERASER CLEANER Chong-Hsing Wu, Taiwan, China [73] Assignee: Golden House Enterprise Co. Ltd.,

Taipei, Taiwan, China [22] Filed: Nov. 30, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 310,824

[52] US. Cl 15/142, 49/1 R, 248/364 [51] Int. Cl A46b 17/06, 13431 21/00 [58] Field of Search 15/38, 89, 104 R, 142,

15/221, 257 R, 310, 311, DIG. 9

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,526,485 Kortick 15/142 x Goldner et al. 15/142 3,262,144 7/1966 Avila 15/142 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 447,756 4/1948 Canada l5/DlG. 9.

Primary Examiner-Daniel Blum Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Moonray Kojima [5 7] ABSTRACT An apparatus for cleaning erasers comprising a base, a coarse dust collecting means, an enclosed beating bed positioned above the coarse dust collecting means, and an enclosed fine dust collecting means positioned above the beating bed, whereby an eraser is beaten on the beating bed and the coarse dust collects in the coarse dust collecting means and the-fine dust is swept upward and collected in the fine dust collecting means.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures mm'ngnm 23 197:

SHEET 2 [1F 2 CHALK ERASER CLEANER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to eraser cleaners and more particularly to a cleaning device for blackboard erasers having enclosed means for preventing the scattering'of dust during cleaning operation.

Blackboards are still the main teaching aid in classrooms and erasure thereof is still done with conventional erasers. The cleaning of such erasers has always been a problem. Cleaning is usually done by patting against a wall or a hard surface or by beating with a whip; such cleaning causes chalk dust to scatter and pollutes the environments. Some cleaning devices have been disclosed which fall into such categories as brushing, roll-brushing or suction method. These devices have the disadvantage that after they absorb chalkdust, the cleaning of the cleaning device itself becomes another problem. Furthermore, these devices usually are of small sizes with limited retaining capacity and thus must be disposed of from time to time.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a novel cleaning device for erasers which is of sufficient volume to store a large quantity of dust resulting from frequent cleaning operation. The inventor has conducted many tests and concludes that the patting method is far more effective than brushing, rollbrushing or suction method. Therefore the present invention adopts patting cleaning. The invention comprises a vertical enclosed cylinder-like chamber at the midpoint at which is located an opening, and across the diameter thereat a screen on which erasers may be patted. The large dust particles fall to the bottom and the fine particles are collected at the top. The appearance of the present device may be shaped like a rocket and serve as a decorative item. The present device is so designed that it may be disassembled into sections which could be inserted one another to save space during packing and shipping.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 4 depicts the packing or shipping condition of the present embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base 1, a dust collecting tube 2, a hopper guide 3, a hood 4 and a fine dust collecting chamber 5 in the shape and manner as depicted. All the components may be made of moulded plastic material, or sheet metal or the like suitable material. The device may be shaped like a rocket, as depicted.

Base I has a projected portion 11 at its top. Heavy material, such as concrete 12 is filled therein to keep the device uprightly stable. Dust collecting tube 2 has a lower straight socket 22 which engages with projected portion 11 of base 1; an upper straight socket 23 which engages with the lower straight socket 31 of hopper guide 3; and extending between upper straight socket 23 and lower straight socket 22 a shank portion 21. Inside tube 2 and at the junction of shank portion 21 and lower straight socket 22 is a bottom plate 24 to collect dust falling therein. The elevational section of the tube 2 is somewhat like a short legged H.

The hopper guide 3 has lower straight socket 31 which engages the upper straight socket 23 of tube 2 as mentioned before; and upper straight socket 32 which engages the lower straight socket 41 of hood 4; and an intermediate conical portion. In addition to lower straight socket 41, hood 4 has conical tapered wall 42 with its top portion insertable into a ring riser 53 of fine dust collecting chamber 5. The fine dust collecting chamber 5 has the appearance of an inverted funnel with a hole 51 on top, over which; a cap 52 is covered thereon; and a riser 53 confining a rim groove 54 wherein flying fine dust is caught and retained.

On the conical tapered wall 42 of the hood 4, there is located a round or rectangular opening equipped with a door 43, having a knob 47 and a spring hinge 44 therein to keep door 43 normally closed when not in use. The opening serves as access through whicherasers to be cleaned may be inserted.

Within the circumference of upper straight socket 32 of the hopper 3 is mounted a wire frame 34 (See FIG. 3) lengths of spiral springs 33 are hung upon grooves 35 with hanging hooks 36 to form a spring bed 37.

All the components of the present device can readily be disassembled into sections, and be packed in the manner depicted in FIG. 4 to save space, such as during shipment.

To operate the device, an operator may open the spring hinged door 43, by pulling knob 47. He then inserts the eraser to be cleaned through the opening and pats the eraser up and down against spring bed 37. The coarse chalk or other dust falls through the spring openings while the fine chalk or other dust flys up with the up rising draft caused by the patting operation. The rising fine dust strike against the funnel like top 5 and are collected in the rim groove 54.. As long as the patting operation continues,the fine dust would not fall on the hand of the operator, because of the up rising draft.

The fine dust collected in rim groove 54 of chamber 5 may be disposed of by disengaging chamber 5 from hood 4 and turning it upside down, then removing cap 52. The fine dust discharges through hole 51. The coarse dust in tube 2 may also be easily disposed by disengaging tube 2 from base 1.

The device may also be used in the cleaning of dusting cloths or the like.

The foregoing embodiment serves only for illustration purposes and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Whatever modifications made by those skilled in the art should be considered within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A chalk eraser cleaner comprising: base means; elongated cylindrical coarse dust collecting means secured to said base means; hopper guide means having a first opening at one end detachably secured to said coarse dust collecting means and a second opening at the other end thereof of a larger area;

beater bed means positionable across said second opening; open ended tubular hood means attachable to said hopper guide means and having an opening in the wall thereof to provide access through which said eraser can be inserted and beaten on said beater bed means with coarse dust falling into said coarse dust collecting means; and fine dust collecting means attachable to the top of said hood means for collecting fine dust rising from said beater bed means through said hood means. 2. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a spring hinged door for normally covering said wall opening when not in use.

3. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said beater means comprises a rectangular frame, and a plurality of spring attached across said frame.

4. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said means for collecting coarse dust comprises a section of said tube, located at the bottom thereof.

5. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said fine dust collecting means comprises a chamber shaped like an inverted funnel and having a riser in the center thereof and a rim groove to collect falling fine dust. 1

6. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 5, wherein said fine dust collecting means further comprises a cap for capping a hole in said funnel and to facilitate the disposal of fine dust collected in said rim groove. 1 

1. A chalk eraser cleaner comprising: base means; elongated cylindrical coarse dust collecting means secured to said base means; hopper guide means having a first opening at one end detachably secured to said coarse dust collecting means and a second opening at the other end thereof of a larger area; beater bed means positionable across said second opening; open ended tubular hood means attachable to said hopper guide means and having an opening in the wall thereof to provide access through which said eraser can be inserted and beaten on said beater bed means with coarse dust falling into said coarse dust collecting means; and fine dust collecting means attachable to the top of said hood means for collecting fine dust rising from said beater bed means through said hood means.
 2. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a spring hinged door for normally covering said wall opening when not in use.
 3. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said beater means comprises a rectangular frame, and a plurality of spring attached across said frame.
 4. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said means for collecting coarse dust comprises a section of said tube, located at the bottom thereof.
 5. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said fine dust collecting means comprises a chamber shaped like an inverted funnel and having a riser in the center thereof and a rim groove to collect falling fine dust.
 6. The chalk eraser cleaner according to claim 5, wherein said fine dust collecting means further comprises a cap for capping a hole in said funnel and to facilitate the disposal of fine dust collected in said rim groove. 